The 2015 Retail Energy Management Maturity Matrix was originally developed in 2014 with retailer input as well as review of existing tools like ISO 50001 and EPA's ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management. The Matrix undergoes annual reviews by retailers, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff and contractors, and other energy experts.

The Matrix is organized according to the Virtuous Cycle of Strategic Energy Management, a resource pioneered by MIT and Environmental Defense Fund. In an optimized organization, all components of the "virtuous cycle" function at full capacity to improve the performance of the energy consuming systems, generating maximum financial and environmental returns.

Company’s energy management maturityNote: These dimensions are solely intended to be possible pathways to energy optimization; the leading practice is currently only performed by a few companies at most; and not every company can/will achieve every leading practice.